Junction box for high voltage gas insulated conductors

Abstract

Method and apparatus for forming a joint in a high voltage gas insulated electrical system wherein an outer spherical joint member surrounds an inner spherical joint member which is supported from only one of the inner housing conductors. The inner housing conductor which supports the inner sphere is supported where it extends into the outer housing sphere from a circular insulating member. The circulating insulating spacer and support is rigidly connected to a flanged opening formed on the outer housing sphere. The inner sphere which is rigidly supported is provided with a plurality of sliding contact openings for engaging other inner conductors of the additional bus sections to be joined. The outer spherical housing is formed from two hemispheres each of which has an opening formed therein. The plane defined by the opening into the hemisphere is transverse to the plane defined by the free ends of the hemisphere. Thus when the hemispheres are joined to form the outer housing sphere by relatively positioning the hemisphere angular variability can be obtained. That is, when the hemispheres are positioned to define a sphere if they are rotated relative to one another the angle, defined by the center line radii of the openings, changes. This construction permits a few number of basic hemispherical shaped parts to be utilized to produce junction boxes accommodating numerous angular variations between the bus conductors to be joined.

We claim: 
     
       1. A junction box for a high voltage gas insulated system comprising: a first hemispherically shaped member having an opening formed therein;   a second hemispherically shaped member having an opening formed therein joined to said first hemispherically shaped member to define a spherically shaped cavity;   a first elongated conductor insulated from said first hemispherically shaped member and said second hemispherically shaped member having one end projecting through the opening in said second hemispherically shaped member;   a circular insulating support rigidly joined to said first elongated conductor to rigidly support and position said first elongated conductor;   an electrically conducting inner sphere permanently and rigidly joined to the end of said first elongated conductor within the spherical cavity defined by said first hemispherically shaped member and said second hemispherically shaped member and having a sliding contact opening formed therein, said inner sphere being in electrical contact with said first elongated conductor; and   a second elongated conductor projecting through the opening in said first hemispherically shaped member and engaging the slidable contact opening formed in said inner sphere, said second elongated conductor being in electrical contact with said inner sphere to make electrical contact with said first elongated conductor.   
     
     
       2. A junction box for a high voltage gas insulated system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the openings formed in said first hemispherically shaped member and said second hemispherically shaped member have flanged openings formed thereon; and, said circular insulating spacer is rigidly bolted to one of said flanges.   
     
     
       3. A junction box as claimed in claim 2 wherein said flanged portions are disposed at an angle with respect to the edge of the associated hemispherically shaped member. 
     
     
       4. A junction box for connecting two or more high voltage conductors each formed with an elongated inner conductor disposed coaxially within an outer housing and being electrically insulated from the outer housing by a pressurized insulating gas between the inner conductor and the outer housing, the outer housings each having a flange at one end thereof, said junction box comprising: an outer sphere having a plurality of flanged openings formed therein, said outer housing flanges being secured to said outer sphere flanges to connect said outer housings to said outer sphere;   a circular insulator rigidly attached to one of said conductors and supported by being disposed between the flange of one of said outer housings and the outer sphere flange to which it is secured, said insulator supporting and positioning an end portion of one of said inner conductors within the outer sphere; and   an electrically conducting inner sphere disposed within said outer sphere and rigidly connected to, supported by, and in electrical contact with, said inner conductor rigidly attached to said circular insulator;   said inner sphere having a sliding contact opening aligned with one of the openings in said outer sphere to which another of said outer housings is secured, said contact opening slidingly receiving therein one of said inner conductors and in electrical contact therewith.   
     
     
       5. A junction box as claimed in claim 4 wherein said inner sphere has a plurality of slidable contact openings formed therein. 
     
     
       6. A junction box as claimed in claim 4 wherein said outer sphere comprises: a first hemisphere having an opening formed therein which defines a plane transverse to the plane defined by the edge of said first hemisphere; and   a second hemisphere having an opening formed therein which defines a plane which is transverse to the plane defined by the edge of said second hemisphere.   
     
     
       7. A junction box as claimed in claim 6 wherein the opening formed in said first hemisphere is formed around a center line radius extending at an angle 45° from the center point of the plane defined by the edge of said hemisphere; and, the opening formed in said second hemisphere is formed around a center line radius extending at an angle of 45° from the center point of the plane defined by the free edge of said second hemi-sphere.